Op-Ed: Shinzo Abe, the P.M. of Japan, made a lengthy speech Friday ahead of the 70th anniversary August 15, of his country's surrender which ended WWII.

Unlike previous Prime Ministers of Japan, who on the 50th and 60th anniversaries, offered personal apologies for the country's militaristic past and all that entailed, Abe simply apologised on behalf of Japan.

But his carefully chosen words acknowledged Japan's military and colonial past warranted apologies; while outsiders may see that as better than nothing former 'enemies' of Japan will view his words as more shallow rhetoric.

P.M. Abe also said generations not involved in past conflicts should not be forced into making continued apologies for the country's past and that makes sense. Does colonial Great Britain, former warmongering Germany or Native American 'master' the U.S.A. continually apologise for the past?

'Comfort women'

One former 'enemy', China, claims more than 20 million of its citizens died as a result of Japan's invasion, occupation and atrocities.

Japan is looking to spread its military wings again and ministers are trying to interpret or abandon the post-war "Article 9" for military ends. That has led to protests in Japan.

Friday Abe acknowledged that Japan's military past, and its use of women forced into prostitution during the war and categorised as 'comfort women', "brought lots of suffering to innocent people" including to thousands of women sexually abused by the Japanese military across the Asia-Pacific region.

Comfort women a.k.a forced prostitution without pay

In Japan, during the Second World War, many women were forced to become "sex slaves" for the military. The women and girls came from China South Korea, the Philippines, Indonesia and Taiwan. It was classed as enforced prostitution and the women were called "comfort women" by some but in reality it was nothing more than rape.

Using a carefully sanitized phrase such as comfort women does nothing to show the pain and abuse these women suffered. Across the world and in Japan most people now accept that the abuse of these women was a war crime and a serious breach of human rights. Most people do but not all.

In May 2013 Osaka Mayor Toru Hashimoto said that the "comfort women" gave Japanese soldiers a chance "to rest" and were "necessary". Most Japanese ministers quickly tried to remove themselves from his words and did not comment but ministers in the women's home countries expressed dismay and anger at his words.

Just when you think mankind is making some headway you read or hear of a story like this. The man may truly believe the women offered some help to battle weary troops but does he not understand the implications of his words?

So in his eyes the women were nobodies, who meant nothing. They were insignificant and nothing more than a weapon or tool of war. The suffering they endured at the time and following does not matter as they were necessary to make the troops feel good. But what about the troops? If they were well aware of the "sex slaves" status" did they not feel any guilt or had war dehumanised them completely? Do or did their actions haunt them for years?

Around 200,000 women in territories occupied by Japan were forced to become sex slaves for the Japanese military. You only need a full-scale war to find out the mettle of a person or a nation and it seems that Japanese soldiers soon sunk to the depths of humanity.

Although the women received an apology from Japan in 1993 in more recent years ministers have been back pedalling on that one; however if truth be known the women should have received justice through a war crimes court years ago.

Hong Kong, Pearl Harbour, Manchuria, rape of Nangking, Philippines, Thailand, Bridge on the River Kwai ..... There is much to formally apologize for. Sometimes the only way to move forward is to revisit one's history, acknowledge mistakes and wrongs, sincerely apologize for those who made them.

Reply

Dava Castillo

15/8/2015 10:45:28 am

Thank you for the report Eileen.

Americans are still attempting to apologize for slavery and the degradation of Native Americans. With these kinds of atrocities and those done around world memorials and apologies acknowledge the events and allow new generations to move forward.

Reply

Eileen

16/8/2015 02:29:22 am

Thanks girls!

I just wonder how long apologies must go on for. Will we apologise for the Iraq war? What about those atom bombs on Japan. What about Great Britain's past?

My Dad spent more than seven of his younger years in Burma, India etc fighting the 'japs' as he called it. It helped him to an early grave.

But what do we all do - just go back into history and keep apologising?

Unless we learn from the past and change our ways......

Japan I know had a terrible record but then so did Germany.
News that Abe in Japan is rebuilding the country's military is another worry.

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